Hospitals fear loss of insurance payments if mandate is struck down

The American Medical Association argued in a brief to the court that the bill could hurt hospitals' finances if the individual mandate is the only portion of the law to be struck down or altered. Hospitals expected a wave of newly insured patients to offset cuts to government reimbursement for programs like Medicare and Medicaid called for under the law. They fear they may be squeezed by declining payments without the benefit of an influx of new patients. If the court finds the law unconstitutional, the government may press ahead on plans to cut reimbursements in a effort to rein in spending.